Copa America 
/ Michael Lintorn / 22 June 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Ezequiel Lavezzi's progress is likely to be tracked by Manchester City
"The pressure is on for the host nation as they bid to halt a silverware drought that dates back to the 1993 edition of this competition."
The opportunity to stage the Copa America is by no means a guarantee of glory, with just one of the last five hosts winning the trophy, however Argentina are rated favourites.
The odds
Argentina are [1.18] to top Group A and [2.02] to win the tournament.
The past
Though the joint-most successful team ever with 14 titles, the pressure is on for the host nation as they bid to halt a silverware drought that dates back to the 1993 edition of this competition. They reached the final in both 2004 and 2007, only to suffer defeat on both occasions to the enemy Brazil.
The coach
Sergio Batista is the man who has taken on the unenviable task of succeeding Diego Maradona, a role that comes with a guarantee of constant sniping from his predecessor: "It's easy for Batista to be low profile. If he so much as crosses the border and goes to Uruguay, no one knows who he is."
The rivals
Argentina boast fairly dominant head-to-head records against each of their Group A opponents over the course of their last five encounters, justifying their incredibly short price to finish first in it:
Colombia (W4 D0 L1)
Costa Rica (W3 D2 L0)
Bolivia (W3 D1 L1)
The wanted
So many Argentine players' futures are subject to speculation, though not all are guaranteed starting spots to impress. Sergio Aguero has signalled his intention to exit Atletico Madrid and has plenty of admirers, Javier Pastore is likely to leave Palermo and Valencia could sell Ever Banega, while Ezequiel Lavezzi is a rumoured Manchester City target. And then in addition to all that, there is Carlos Tevez!
The fresh faces
Marcos Rojo and Lucas Biglia have already made it to Europe with Spartak Moscow and Anderlecht respectively but it is only since Batista's arrival that they have been given a chance to challenge for a regular place in the national side, and to date they have made the most of the opportunity.
The 2001 champions are knockout round semi-regulars, and given a decent draw and the presence of one of Europe's most in-demand forwards, should do so again....
Of the 12 sides taking part in July's Copa America, eight will feature Premier League players. Read on to find out the ones from your club that you'll be praying don't wow rival scouts or get injured!...
Betting.Betfair has signed up the BBC's South American football correspondent Tim Vickery to lead our Copa America coverage....
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